What makes the GRiSO so much fun

Since we are all GRiSO riders here, you might call me Captain Obvious on this one, but I had this realization and need to put it out there. I am obsessed with the look and feel of the GRiSO, but I believe the main thing that makes it so addictive to ride is the shape of its power curve.

I have ridden peaky sport bikes with all their power at high RPM: this can give you the occasional top-end thrill once you wind it up, but unless you are constantly tap-dancing on the shifter or riding around with the engine screaming, you’re usually not having much fun.

Then there are the big-displacement cruisers (*cough*Harley*cough) that pull nicely off the line, but just when things should start getting entertaining, they fall flat on their face and the fun is over.

But the GRiSO (along with Beetle map) seems to nail the perfect compromise in this equation: lots of power to pull hard from as low as 3,000 RPM, but then a whole other thrill level kicks in over 6,000. You get both!

Thoughts?

I think all Guzzis have charisma or character but the GRiSO also is a beauty. The design is more than 15 years old but the GRiSO still looks sexy.

Yes, all the above: it is certainly the way it pulls.  

In addition the looks are incredible: it is a classic design that has been hugely under-appreciated IMHO. It is timeless - not modern or retro - just in a class of its own. And somehow even among Moto Guzzi riders the GRiSO seems to be an outlier and is not given the credit it deserves.

Finally, for me at least, it is the only motorcycle I have owned that seems to really have a character of its own. It is willing to accommodate me but on each ride I have to show it that I can handle it. When I take the GRiSO out for a run, I am not alone.  

The GRiSO is the best motorcycle, ever.

The End.

I love my GRiSO. But it lost at the drag strip yesterday to my buddies stock BMW R9T/5. I got to have more power.

Buy a Tuono.

The reason I like the GRiSO, besides it's appearance, is because it offers my sort of 'Goldilocks' experience of motorcycling. It's not too civilised but neither is it too narrowly focused. It offers a satisfying combination of the civilised and the visceral, adequate performance, simplicity and ample opportunities for improvement and 'Personalisation'.

No, it's not the fastest, or the best handling, or the showiest. It is though utterly unique in the motorcycle world.

Not sure if I can put my finger on anything that stands out but I think Pete's on it. You just can't get a motorcycling experience that's this unique or captivating from anything else. It looks incredible without being flashy and turns heads everywhere it goes. (Found out when I was out in the black hills that it's hater-proof! Everyone, Harley riders and sport bike guys all love it.) The engine is imperfect but it's absolutely compliant and loves to cruise and get its neck wrung. It's not a phenomenal handling bike but it does handle very well, and the list goes on.

I like that it's a very "raw" experience compared to some of the japanese bikes. The closest I've found on the japanese side to the same experience is Yamaha's XSR900.

I'm just glad that Guzzi hasn't tuned out the character of their bikes with the V85 architecture. The ADV life ain't for me so I'll probably trade mine next year, but if they drop a road-going version of that bike I'd be absolutely up for it.

I’ve had 3 other bikes while owning the GRiSO. Those have all sold. Due to relocation I’ve had the GRiSO for sale twice, but then I ride it and cancel sale. It’s a unique bond this bike creates, beyond the looks and the pretty simple maintenance

HighMileageHero wrote:

I'm just glad that Guzzi hasn't tuned out the character of their bikes with the V85 architecture. The ADV life ain't for me so I'll probably trade mine next year, but if they drop a road-going version of that bike I'd be absolutely up for it.

Really? I think the V85 is one of the most bland, insipid, gutless, uninspiring and boring motorbikes I've ever thrown a leg over. Awful suspension, lousy power to weight ratio, (Hint. It doesn't make anywhere within a bull's roar of the preposterously claimed 80 hp.) little or no low end torque and bugger all top end mumbo. It baffles me why they sell at all? All I can imagine is that people actually want that in a motorcycle. It's the Hyundai Kona of the motorbike world........

I can understand the gutless feeling from it. I dig the looks but that engine really needs more revs to get happy. Definitely feels like they set the limit too low for the V85 since it's still building power when it slams into the redline. As far as power goes, it's "adequate", but not great. You spend a lot of time messing with the gearbox to get it moving. I probably don't have as good of a reference point as you do with the near perfect GRiSO that you ride, but I found it to be okay but uninspiring.

What the engine needs is Hi-Cams, twin throttle bodies and four extra valves.

I love GRiSO. GRiSO makes me happy.

Bill Dee wrote:

I love my GRiSO. But it lost at the drag strip yesterday to my buddies stock BMW R9T/5.  I got to have more power.  

In MY particular case, I think the biggest gains would come from ME shedding about 50lbs!!!

I have a one sister in Boise, another in Eagle, and my Pops is in Meridian. Once my personal COVID-19 travel ban is over, I'll be getting out there post-haste. Perhaps we can rendezvous for a coffee or some beers and talk GRiSO, send out some feelers for a Boise Cabal.

So Pete do you think Guzzi would ever do what you suggest, ie hi cam, twin throttle bodies and 4 extra valves while they are at it how about making it 1000cc and putting it into a lemans albeit a modern version

I'm not sure why Guzzi insisted on going with a two valve, pushrod design for the new engine. In an era of tightening emissions I was actually hoping to see an OHC, 4-valve, wet-head design (i.e. BMW 1200 boxer). Might've really given that engine a kick in the pants without the need for a bonkers cam and would give people who like tinkering some loftier performance to shoot for.

alanlemansiv wrote:

So  Pete do you think Guzzi would  ever do  what you  suggest,  ie hi cam, twin throttle  bodies and 4 extra  valves  while they are at it how about making it  1000cc and putting it into a lemans albeit a modern  version

No. At least not in the foreseeable future.

Kind of a shame to be honest, Guzzi kind of turned into a "heritage-only" brand instead of leaning into their history of innovation and crazy projects.

Yes it is a shame, let's face it they where rather innovative when the GP rules of 1956/57 allowed them to make a 500cc V8 and the motor was no wider than what was available at the time

The current MG line-up (For USA) is kind of boring, other than possibly the bat-mobile MGX-21. If they made a cool middleweight touring bike of some kind, I'd think about replacing my FJR1300 with it. (The GRiSO will never be replaced however)

Street wrote:

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Perfect!

I decided that I wanted a GRiSO as my next bike a year before I bought mine.
So had a lot of time to think about why I found the GRiSO an attractive proposition
and what I wanted to do to make her uniquely mine.

I've not come across any other bike that has the classic, individual look of the GRiSO.

I bought the bike 650 klm from home and rode her back. A great ride, in the flesh the bike lived up to my expectations.
I've spent the last six months customizing. I'm really happy with the result !

To me the GRiSO doesn't fit into any particular category, is just a great, special bike, not the quickest or slickest,
simply a hugely rewarding way of enjoying the journey.

An Italian V twin that looks great and is a pleasure to ride, what more could you want.

Yep got to agree with everything you said about the constant (until 6,000RPM) power on tap. Conversely, I love the fantastic engine braking that you get. We've got some pretty twisty up/downhill rides in my locale and I find that the engine braking enables me to select a gear and pretty much stick to that for the downhill in particular, with only the occasional touch of the rear brake. in flat terrain riding I tend only to use the rear brake when coming to a stop in traffic.

Every time I ride my Stelvio, I know exactly what makes the GRiSO so much fun...